OK...Let's hear

[RuMR]

what your hardest route done in terms of work/effort/etc.

 

(and it can be ongoing)...doesn't have to be the hardest rating, but has to be the hardest for YOU...

 

bored and this should make for some good discussion...

[chucK]

gawd! I'm even more bored now.

[RuMR]

go fuck yerself...that should get entertaining...

[minx]

go fuck yerself...that should get entertaining...

 

ok-then you start

[specialed]

This climb I did but I don't want to drop names (hint: it begins with G and ends with R and in between is IRTH PILLA). But I forgot my windshirt. Luckily I had already completed 2 whole NOLSE courses and had four years of outdoor retail experience under my belt so I managed find a route that skipped all of the scary climbing and then I found a neutrino on route.

[RuMR]

hardest thing i worked for? hmmm...there are many, but i'd have to say it was the second pitch of a route that i was expecting it to be 5.7 (turned out to be mid 10-ish)...i'd been climbing for about 4 months at the time, and the hardest thing i'd done was a 5.8, my buddy had done the first pitch and i was gonna do the second, easier pitch...i thought i was gonna die, i puked when i topped out...the top out itself was scary, very scary and sandy...i had never fallen on gear before, so i had no idea what worked...drag was bad, could barely move...

 

when we got home that night i looked in the guidebook which we'd forgotten and saw that the 5.7 pitch cut LEFT from the belay...the route wound up being 5.10 and was steep, cutting up a dihedral and topping out in a notch

 

THis is my most memorable climb to date...

 

the route was Fantasy direct at the NRG...it lit a fire under me that hasn't stopped for almost 20 years now...

 

 

Oh...and chuck...are you done diddling yourself? Feel better?

[RuMR]

This climb I did but I don't want to drop names (hint: it begins with G and ends with R and in between is IRTH PILLA). But I forgot my windshirt. Luckily I had already completed 2 whole NOLSE courses and had four years of outdoor retail experience under my belt so I managed find a route that skipped all of the scary climbing and then I found a neutrino on route.

 

didya find my neutrino? It was next to the porn stash by the simulated goat at the anchors?

[genepires]

any and every day at index. especially the 5.9's. especially in the spring when I am out of head-space.

 

up and especially down slesse last year.

 

the first time I got up pan dome falls was a big pump and hard for the day

[specialed]

The "Akward-Looking" Offwidth Pitch!!

[Bill_Simpkins]

Soul Mate in Squamish on a very very very cold winter morning by a cold ocean. The climbing was normal for a 5.10 slab, but my fingers and toes were extremely numb. Belaying was just as hard. I don't think my hands and toes have ever been so cold.

[selkirk]

most focused/biggest difficulty jump to date: Lions Jaw.... At that point I had led 1 whole pitch of 5.8 sport, and and maybe 5 whole pitches of 5.6 trad, and was hoping to get on Five Gallon jugs, of course that was busy, so I got it in my head that, it's only 5.8, I think it'll go... got it it clean, but damn was the pucker factor high! I place all the worthwhile gear I had and ended up slotting tri-cams as nut's just below the roof!

 

Scariest... last fall, on Midway.... utterly horid head space. 2 moves chimneying up and I drop a nice draw, place one sketch piece, and go back down to fish it out of the whole at the base . Three more moves up, and I realize i'm not wearing my helmet and there's a party above me stupid stupid me, back down to get the helmet on, then back up. The only piece I liked on the whole route was the fixed pin! Almost rapped off the top of Jello Tower. Only route i've seriously considered bailing off of midway.

 

Either that or the 2 moves of bottoming flaring, offwidth on the Tunnel Route on Concord. Start reaching, thinking, there has to be a hand hold in there, wait, wait theres no hand hold, and I don't have any feet anymore either, oh f&*Y&U*ck, lets see how fast and how deep I can crawl into said crack!

 

Second scariest.... 2 weeks ago on George and Martha. (my whole, 3rd 10a trad lead. Up at the offwidth section at the top, two moves of thrutching, and I can't quite get my foot onto the big ledge so I start Road-Runnering missing the damn ledge by 1 inch every time. Finally hit it after what felt like an eternity.

 

strenousness.. A tie between Tangled up in Blue, and Karate Crack, damn those worked me over!

 

 

So, how about the flip? What climbs/pitchs turned out to be ridiculously over rated in difficulty? Kudo's to anyone who can name one that's not at Exit -38

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Hmm...technically, Oxygen would hold the position of lengthiest/hardest-feeling endeavor, but it is unclear whether Dr. Flash Amazing is actually planning to ever attempt a send. Not to mention whether DFA will ever be uninjured for such a period of time as is required for sending anything "hard" ever again (knock on wood).

 

Other notably lengthy battles to send were all of the routes 5.11 & harder at the Emigrant Lake crag in Ashland. Each of these routes (11b, 11c, 11d, 12a, 12c) was attempted far too soon in young DFA's climbing career, and redpoints thus came down to epic numbers of days spent, and some combination of luck and stubbornness, as good working/redpointing strategy was as yet unheard of amongst A-town's up-and-coming posse of climbing Gumbies. Ah, growing up.

 

Then there was the mysterious Crack Babies, which the Doctor failed to send for many, many months, despite having the thing dialed into oblivion and down to one fall every single time, and accumulating numerous other sends on routes of equal or greater difficulty. And then there was the season-long siege of Kill the Hate, which was dialed down to one fall within a couple of weekends, but which for some reason would not go for the rest of the Spring, regardless of conditions, rest, nourishment, motivation, etc.

 

Climbing is so complex!

[MCash]

Don Quixote and The Hooker at Minne both took me a while to get up. I'll have to go back and try to redpoint both of them sometime.

[thelawgoddess]

moby dick (in the valley). my worst lead ever even though i made it the top. as jeff would say, AWFUL width ... especially for someone my size. it was ugly as all hell and i think i ended up leaving 2 nuts and 2 cams. (which some nice fellow later returned to me.)

[carolyn]

The first year I started rock climbing I went up to the N.shore here in MN with a group of people from work. The n.shore is pretty much, get to the top or swim accross lake superior til ya hit wisconsin. ANyway, I got on this climb which took me probly a little over an hour to climb. I fell, hung, stood, cried. After that I NEVER wanted to rock climb again. I was determined to stick to ice instead. Two yrs later a friend convinced me to go up there with him. We set up the same climb. Suddenly I had to "take a shit" (most literally). It was too late, because that feeling came as I was rapping down to the bottom. I was soooooooo terrified because of my past experience. I cruised up that thing in ten min. it was soooo easy!!!!!!

 

Later in that season I went back to the Nshore again and climbed something 4 grades harder. It was HARD, but doable. I shed a few tears when I got to the top of that as I looked over to see that first climb which almost stopped me from rock climbing ever again. Im glad I didnt let it.

 

I think leading the last pitch of Outer Space will always be a fantastic example of a great lead for me, mentally.

 

Okay...one more. Im not much of a boulderer, but I did work this one problem on occassion for nearly 2yrs. I FINALLy did it last spring. As I stood up to top out, I hit some wet rock and fell...missing my pad (no spotter). Fractured my leg. But none of that mattered, because Gwad damn it, I finally DID it! Definately one of my prouder moments as sick as it may seem!

[MisterMo]

This climb I did but I don't want to drop names (hint: it begins with G and ends with R and in between is IRTH PILLA). But I forgot my windshirt. Luckily I had already completed 2 whole NOLSE courses and had four years of outdoor retail experience under my belt so I managed find a route that skipped all of the scary climbing and then I found a neutrino on route.

 

........and how many years have you been in.....junior high school?

[lancegranite]

Fear and Loathing III, how many times have I stared at the finishing holds, only to fail!

It seems like I get close 2-3 times a year, only to have to go back to work for a month straight, ruining my tan and endurance....

[Drederek]

Definitely the hollow flake pitch on the Salathe route up El Cap. 2 1/2 hours of unprotected chickenwinging left my right arm a bloody mess. Sad part is I know I coulda walked up it in 5 minutes by laying it back but one slip meant a 0 - 60 foot fall onto a completely tipped out 7 friend then when that ripped an 80-100 foot pendulum into a corner. Slow and sure seemed the way to go on that slippery valley granite.

[texplorer]

Well, there's lots of kinds of "most difficult" so . . .

 

Most work in single pitch - Ahab - I guess I got the onsite of this thing but goddamn if one pitch ever took so much out of me. I bet I was on it for an hour and a half.

 

Most time - Heinous Cling p1 - I bet I did this thing 15 times before I finally got it. My first foray into really working a route down to the move.

 

Most exhausting - The Prow - probably wouldn't have been so bad except that I thought I could do it in-a-day style with one gallon of water in early sept. Big mistake! Made it to the top just as dark hit but was so dehydrated all I could think about was water even after I came upon an accident where one guy had taken a 200fter unroped off the edge. On the way down to the awahanee I contemplated getting a drink first or reporting the accident. I reported the accident first and then proceeded to waterlog myself sick.

 

Lessons:

Squeeze chimneys - NO!

Sport Climbing is all about rehearsal

Caesar was ambitious too - look what happened to him

[RuMR]

moby dick (in the valley). my worst lead ever even though i made it the top. as jeff would say, AWFUL width ... especially for someone my size. it was ugly as all hell and i think i ended up leaving 2 nuts and 2 cams. (which some nice fellow later returned to me.)

hahahaha...now you have to go for Moby Dick RIGHT! hahahaha

 

Edit: Just read Tex's post!

Edited April 26, 2005 by RuMR

[TimL]

I'd have to say keeping my skin on my hands here at J -Tree. Man this rock is frigin sharp.

[willstrickland]

LOL, Tex it was only about 97 degrees that day you were on the Prow!

 

Not a most work/hardest, but more of a full circle kinda thing:

 

First day I ever went climbing, at Sandrock Alabama, we had a TR hung on this arete called Jaws at the end of the day. All the beginners got shut down, although a couple of us came close to pulling it on TR. I think the guide gives it 9+, it's short..maybe 30-40ft?

 

About 8 years or so after that first day, I went back to Sandrock for the first time in 6 years, having not been on the route since that first day, and bouldered it in approach shoes. The crux is low, and it's pretty much huge jugs after that, but it was the context that made it special. Felt like I'd actually become a climber. Too bad that I am ultra suck now.

 

Most work: Malvado, American Fork. At least 30 attempts spread over a dozen visits. Funny because the route is not even very good, just has a rep as THE soft route for its grade. I was chasing the number attached to it, the route was just a means to an end.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Funny because the route is not even very good, just has a rep as THE soft route for its grade. I was chasing the number attached to it, the route was just a means to an end.

 

 

Number-chasin' rocks!

[gosolo]

Such an interesting thread I can’t help myself. I was living in Lawrence, Kansas at the time. Middle America, mortgage, leave it to beaver neighborhood…..The perfect life right? Only my wife at the time (now ex) also said I was middle aged. Got me to thinking I should climb the big stone but I couldn’t take the time off. Do it in a day! I trained my butt off and did the Salathe in 23 hours. The climb itself went wonderful, even the hollow flake, sans pro in the middle of the night. But the work to get there was pretty killer, especially since most of the movement training was on my garage wall in Kansas.